Press Release: A Puzzling Escape up on the ArtSpot

Jackson, Wyoming – A new ArtSpot went up this week on Broadway featuring puzzle pieces on the loose. Titled “A Puzzling Escape,” the installation was conceived by Isis Brinker, a Shelley, Idaho high school student, who developed the idea as part of a sculpture class led by art teacher Daniel Borup. After being selected this fall during a public call-to-artists, the entire sculpture class collaborated on building and installing the work. The ArtSpot is a JH Public Art project, in which regional artists are invited to create site-specific installations that inspire moments of discovery and joy for the more than 30,000 daily drivers that pass by. 

In the original submission, teacher Daniel Borup tasked his Shelley High School sculpture class students with developing individual proposals for the ArtSpot; participating students included: Isis Brinker, Ella Carlson, Sophia Garcia, Amber Lindsay, Sophia Patchin, Cordell Winward, Malaya Witt, and Ericson Wittwer. Out of seven proposals, the JH Public Art Board of Directors and staff selected Isis Brinker’s whimsical “A Puzzling Escape” as the winner. This sculpture depicts a puzzle half-done, with brightly-colored pieces in the process of escaping down the Karns hillside. Built from plywood and steel, an additional seven students – Emily Ball, Sam Bush, Seth Hale, Madysen Humpherys, Kaden Jensen, Tara Shigihara, and Anastasia Taylor – came over for a class trip to install at the ArtSpot on Monday, December 13, 2021. 

While the vision for the piece did not change during the process of building it, Borup and students realized that fitting it into a school bus for the 2-hour drive to Jackson would require additional engineering – the Artspot is 6 ft by 10 ft and the door on the back of a bus is only 5 feet. After successfully loading it here and installing it as a team, with the help of JH Public Art's installation crew made up of Natty Hagood and Nikko Grambow, the class hopes that it will bring a smile to the community. 

“With this piece there aren't any deep meanings or concepts intended. It's just a fun and interesting sculpture. Knowing that it was thought up and created by teenagers should also bring added appreciation. Public art in general is a great way to beautify our world and make life a little more interesting, I expect this piece to do exactly that.” – Daniel Borup, Shelley High School Art Teacher 

The ArtSpot is actively seeking annual sponsors, contact Carrie Geraci carrie@jhpublicart.org, for opportunities // contact Carolyn Ripps, carolyn@jhpublicart.org, for approved press images